Help
Troubleshooting
If your amplifier does not appear to be working, check obvious things first such as blown fuses, poor or incorrect wiring connections, incorrect setting of crossover switch and gain controls, etc.
There are two LEDs on the end panel of your Kicker KX series amplifier, one green and one red. When the green LED is lit this indicates the amplifier is turned on and no trouble exists. If the green LED turns off and the red LED is lit this indicates that the protection circuitry (SORT) is engaged.
The power indicator on top of the amplifier which illuminates the model badge follows the same function as the green LED.
Green LED off, no output:
With a Volt Ohm Meter (VOM) check:
+12 volt power terminal (should read +12V to +16V). Remote
Green LED on, no output:
Check RCA connections.
Test speaker outputs with known good speaker. Substitute known good source unit.
Check for signal on RCA cable with VOM meter in AC position.
Red LED on, no output:
1.) Amp is very hot.
Thermal protection is engaged. Check for proper impedance at speaker terminals. Also check for adequate airflow around amplifier.
2.) Amp shuts down only while vehicle is running. Voltage protection is engaged. Voltage to the amplifier
is not within the
3.) Amp will only play at low volume levels.
Short circuit protection is engaged. Check for speaker wires shorted to each other or the vehicle chassis. Damaged speakers or operating below minimum impedance will also cause this.
No output from one channel:
Check balance control on head unit.
Check RCA & speaker connections for that channel. If problem changes sides then you have a bad RCA cable or source unit problem.
Swap speaker connections from left to right.
If problem changes sides then you have a bad speaker cable or bad speaker.
Alternator noise (whining sound that varies with engine RPM):
Check for damaged RCA cable. Check routing of RCA cable. Check source unit for good ground.
Check gain setting, turn down if set too high. Swap RCA connections from left to right.
10 | KX AMPLIFIERS |
